The Top-10 Moments From 2022 In The NBA
So much happened in 2022 for many of us and heading into the new year, there is no better time to look back and reflect on what a year it was for the NBA.
From highlight reel plays to records being broken to the league’s 75th anniversary celebration to a terrific NBA Finals series, fans of basketball were given everything that they could have hoped for and more.
The older generation of players in Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant continue to impress, but the new generation of Ja Morant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and others continue to prove that the league is in very good hands for a long time to come.
Who knows what 2023 holds for all of us and our world as a whole, but the one thing we know is that the NBA is not going anywhere anytime soon and with all the talent in the league today, 2023 has a chance to be a very, very special year.
Without further ado, let’s go ahead and look back on my Top-10 moments from the NBA during 2022:
#10 LeBron James’ Game-Winning Shot in All-Star Game in Cleveland - February 20, 2022
NBA All-Star Weekend is always a special time for players, their families and fans of the game and this past year, all of these festivities were held in Cleveland.
The dunk contest, three-point shooting contest and other events were just alright this year, but aside from the 75th anniversary team coming out on the floor together, which we will touch on a little bit later, the All-Star Game itself was a spectacle to see.
Not only did Stephen Curry put on a show with 50 points on 16 made three-pointers, winning the Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP trophy, but LeBron James led his All-Star team to a victory in Cleveland, hitting the biggest and final shot of the night.
Again, this is just the All-Star Game, so everything about it is pretty meaningless when it comes to the season and whatnot, but James hitting this shot in the city that means the most to him was definitely an iconic moment.
#9 Ja Morant’s Highlight Reel of Dunks
We can just go down the list of dunks Ja Morant had this past year and quite honestly, he could have shown up on this list for various different dunks he had!
As a result, some of his more iconic dunks from 2022 have been lumped together here and well… you just have to see what this guy did for yourself!
There are so many other dunks we could list that Morant had this year, but the Grizzlies' All-Star continues to be one of the young, rising faces of the league.
We will touch more on Ja Morant shortly!
#8 Kevin Durant Breaks Daniel Gafford’s Ankles - November 4, 2022
Kevin Durant’s ability to score from anywhere on the floor is truly something we have never seen from a 7-footer before and even after suffering an Achilles injury in 2019, Durant is still playing at an MVP-level.
Nobody can guard Durant’s jumper in the mid-range and when he gets a matchup he likes, look out!
You almost feel bad for Daniel Gafford here because the Wizards’ big man really did not stand a chance against Kevin Durant.
This was one of the best ankle-breakers we have seen and this play is always something that will live on Durant’s highlight reel!
#7 Ja Morant Pins Block on Backboard With Two Hands - January 9, 2022
Hey look, it’s Ja Morant again!
Morant is one of the best athletes in the entire NBA and against the Los Angeles Lakers on a big stage, he made one of the most athletic plays you will ever see in league history.
To be able to recover after turning the ball over is impressive enough, but then to chase down Avery Bradley and not only block his shot, but absolutely pin it with two hands on the backcourt…
I mean, this is one of the most impressive things I have ever seen any athlete do and other than LeBron James’ block in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, this may very well be the best block in NBA history.
Just look at where Morant is when he catches/blocks this shot!
#6 ESPN's Brian Windhorst Becomes NBA’s Best Meme - July 1, 2022
Those who do not watch ESPN’s day-time shows may not understand this one, but ESPN’s Brian Windhorst took the NBA world by storm with his appearance on First Take during the summer.
When talking about Kevin Durant requesting a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, Windhorst also pointed out that right before that news broke, the Nets made a deal with the Utah Jazz for Royce O’Neale.
“Why would the Jazz do that? Why would the Jazz, who have two stars on their roster, take a player who is one of their starters and best defensive players, and trade him in a salary-dumping move. Why would they do that,” Windhorst questioned with his fingers raised to the air, an image that instantly became the biggest meme of the NBA in 2022.
“What’s going on in Utah? And that’s what people in the league are watching right now”
Windhorst was absolutely spot-on with his assumptions and reporting on what was happening in Utah, as the Jazz traded away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, their two All-Stars, not too far off from Windhorst’s speculation.
Every report you hear is not always 100 percent factual and at some point, every single one of us journalists and reporters get something wrong, but we have to give a lot of credit to Brian Windhorst for the job he did speculating about and talking about Utah here.
#5 Gregg Popovich Becomes NBA’s All-Time Winningest Head Coach - March 12, 2022
In my mind, something that went way under-the-radar during the 2021-22 NBA season was Gregg Popovich becoming the NBA’s all-time winningest head coach.
The Spurs were and have not been anything special through the years, but when you think of coaching in the sport of basketball, it is hard not to think of Popovich and all the accomplishments he has had in his career.
From coaching Team USA to Olympic gold to winning five championships with San Antonio to then becoming first on the NBA’s most wins list by a head coach, Popovich has had the best career any coach has ever had in this league.
#4 Luka Doncic’s Heroic 60-Point, 21-Rebound, 10-Assist Night - December 27, 2022
This one was recent and if you haven't heard Luka Doncic’s name recently, then you have been living under a rock!
Doncic has been making history left and right this NBA season and this past Tuesday, he had one of the most unique performances we have ever seen in league history.
Against the New York Knicks, Luka Doncic recorded 60 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists, becoming the first player in league history to have a 60-20-10 game Perhaps the most impressive part of this night was the fact that the Dallas Mavericks trailed the Knicks 112-103 with 33 seconds left.
Dallas went on to win this game 126-121 in overtime because of none other than Luka Doncic.
We may never again see a performance like this one Luka had and if we do, it would not be shocking if he was the player to replicate his own performance!
This could very well be one of the key moments in Doncic’s career that we look back on and not only claim this is where he won his first MVP award, but maybe, just maybe, the moment in which he truly became the greatest player in NBA history.
#3 Klay Thompson Returns From Injuries After 941 Days - January 9, 2022
I understand people do not like the Golden State Warriors, but how can you hate Klay Thompson?
He is one of the most beloved players in the entire league not just from fans, but from his competitors as well. Klay is humble, he is funny and he is one of the best three-point shooters this league has ever seen.
Suffering a torn ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals though, Thompson was forced to miss the entirety of the 2019-20 season and then during his recovery leading up to the 2020-21 season, Thompson suffered an Achilles injury that forced him to miss his second full season.
There were major doubts on if Klay Thompson would ever play in the NBA again. However, Klay never quit, even when his own self-doubts were getting the most of him.
Then January 9, 2022 came and all you could hear in Chase Center was a roar from the crowd and the Warriors’ PA announcer Matt Pittman saying over the loudspeaker: “HE’S BAAAAAAAACK!”
A moment that gives you goosebumps every time you look back on it.
Klay finished his first game back from two major leg injuries with 17 points in 20 minutes of play and perhaps one of the most iconic moments from this game was when Klay Thompson drove down the lane and threw down a poster dunk on Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen.
Having Klay Thompson back and healthy just feels right and we are so fortunate to be able to witness his greatness for more years to come.
#2 The NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team Comes Together at All-Star Weekend - February 20, 2022
One of the coolest moments of 2022 in the NBA was during the All-Star Game.
To commemorate the league’s 75th year, the NBA announced their 75-man list featuring the greatest players of all-time, highlighted by names like Kareem-Abdul Jabbar, Bill Russell, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and so many other current and future Hall-of-Famers.
All 50 members of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team were on this list, as were eleven active players in Giannis Antetokounmpo, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, James Harden, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook.
Just the moment alone of those that were a part of this historic list that were in attendance that night coming out on the floor to be recognized and stand together as the greatest of all-time was so moving and quite honestly, it is something that leaves you speechless.
No matter who your favorite NBA player is all-time, they were likely recognized as one of the 75 greatest players to ever play and to have many of them in the same arena, on the same floor at the same time… There truly is nothing better than seeing that if you are a fan of the NBA.
From the behind-the-scenes interviews with all these legends to the pictures they took with one another, this was an iconic moment for the NBA and it should continue to inspire future generations for many years, decades and centuries to come.
#1 Golden State Warriors Win Fourth Title in Last Eight Seasons - June 16, 2022
Losing the 2019 NBA Finals and having both Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson go down with significant leg injuries, many thought that would be it for the Golden State Warriors.
Quite honestly, this looked to be the case, as Durant left for Brooklyn, Thompson missed the entirety of the 2019-20 season and then Stephen Curry suffered a hand injury that resulted in him only playing just five games.
The Warriors finished with a 15-50 record during the 2019-20 season, the worst record in the league, and then they missed the playoffs the following year, losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament.
“You don’t want to see us next year.”
That is what Curry said after this loss to Memphis in 2021.
Then the 2021-22 season started, Klay Thompson returned halfway through the year which was mentioned above, Jordan Poole emerged as a young star for this team and all of a sudden, the Warriors entered the playoffs as the 3-seed in the Western Conference with a 53-29 record.
Nobody wanted to admit it because nobody thought it was possible other than those in that locker room, but slowly, the idea of this organization getting back to the NBA Finals and winning another championship became surreal.
The Warriors got back to the 2022 NBA Finals and they took on the Boston Celtics, a team that gave them everything they had and then some.
Boston looked like they were in control of this series by stealing the first game on the road in San Francisco and then winning Game 3 at home to go up 2-1 on the Warriors, but then Golden State’s experience and championship pedigree showed up.
Oh, and they have a guy named Stephen Curry who is pretty good at basketball!
Curry proceeded to score 43 points on 7-14 shooting from deep in a 107-97 Game 4 victory to even the series at 2-2. He struggled in Game 5, scoring just 16 points, but the Warriors won that game anyways to go up 3-2 in the series heading back to Boston.
Scoring 34 points on 6-11 shooting from three-point range and also having 7 rebounds and 7 assists, Curry put together a dazzling close-out game performance and finally, he won his first NBA Finals MVP award, completing a career trophy case that many thought was lacking this one thing.
The Golden State Warriors had won the 2022 NBA Finals, capturing their fourth title in the last eight seasons and the dynasty was back!
Who knows what the future holds for this franchise and whether or not they will have a shot to defend their title in 2023, but Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala are now four-time NBA champions together, something that can never be taken away or erased in NBA lore.
A message from the author:
If you have read this far, I just want to thank you for not only taking a look at my Top-10 2022 NBA moments list, but for your support throughout 2022. Not many people in the position I am in give thanks to all of you, the viewers and normal NBA fans, so I want to take a moment to truly thank you because without the fans, I would not be able to do what I love every single day. I wish nothing but the best for everyone heading into 2023! - Brett Siegel, NBA Insider & Reporter for Fastbreak on FanNation
